In the use of ultrasound imaging in the performance of medical procedures, it is frequently desired to encapsulate the ultrasound transducer probe in a disposable sterile sheath. The use of the sterile sheath protects the patient when endocavity ultrasound imaging is to be performed or when the patient's skin is to be pierced for performance of amniocentesis or biopsy collection. The use of the sheath also protects a patient or health care professional from cross contamination from the probe.
In the usual sheath, an elongate bag of polymeric material such as latex, polyethylene, or polyurethane is opened and a quantity of conductive gel is placed in the sheath to aid in transduction of ultrasound energy to the probe. Because the bag may be eighteen or more inches long and fairly narrow, it is difficult to place the gel at the bottom of the bag where it is needed without having gel distributed along the length of the interior of the bag thereby causing the transducer probe body and its attached signal cable to be coated unnecessarily with gel when the transducer is placed in the bag. This necessitates the use of wasted conductive gel and the need to remove gel from the body of the probe and its cabling when the procedure is completed. Therefore, there is a need to provide a sheath which facilitates the placement of conductive gel at the bottom of the sheath where it is useful in cooperation with the transducer probe operative surfaces.